Grantmaking Guidelines

On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission that corporations’ efforts to publicly communicate their support for or opposition to political candidates are protected under the First Amendment. The ruling undermines 100 years of law that restrained the role of money in the political system and will dramatically alter the playing field for politics in our country. The public is overwhelmingly opposed to the decision and the problem of corporate money in politics has caught the attention of the public, elected officials and opinion leaders more than any time since Watergate. This is a moment of historic opportunity that requires an unprecedented response on the part of the public, law makers, legal teams and advocates -- and grant makers like the Piper Fund who have supported reform -- to reclaim democracy from corporate special interests. 

In response to the Citizens United ruling and other unprecedented attacks on campaign finance reform, and building on the strong base in the states that the Piper Fund has supported over the last 12 years, the Fund has expanded its focus to mobilize a powerful popular movement to get corporate money out of our political system. To succeed, the reform movement needs to engage leadership from other sectors, constituencies, and movements for democracy and justice, representing those who have the most at stake in the post-Citizens United environment.  This includes enhancing investments in states with a track record, relationships and experience to win, but also prioritizing engaging new networks of likely and unlikely allies. A diverse and powerful reform movement must be built, one with strong leadership at the national level and deep roots at the state and community levels. 

 

To help achieve that goal, Piper will fund in the following areas:

 

 

A vital component to winning is successfully engaging millions of Americans and new organizations, leaders and constituencies in this endeavor. While the existing state-based networks must continue to be supported (see number 2 below), the field must have new voices and perspectives to raise awareness and energy about the problem of corporate money in politics. This requires a new set of organizations and leaders to become engaged in this issue. Piper will make grants to organizations that work to develop their own unique voice and perspective about the problems that face our democracy and our campaign finance system.

 

Piper will engage organizational networks to assess how to most effectively implement this strategy and to assist in identifying potential grantees.   

 

 

 

The campaign finance field has long relied upon a network of state-based organizations to provide the base and public voice of opposition to corporate influence in the political process and to advocate for a new system of campaign finance. Piper’s historic support of these organizations’ efforts to secure or protect state-based public financing schemes will continue. 

 

Piper will support efforts to build capacity of state and local organizations by enhancing leadership development, resource development, communications, and broadening and deepening coalitions.